Dreams of a Butterfly
by Stronger4You
Summary: Running away from her insane family, Miri Rotsu moved to her real mother's hometown and joing Furuba high, hoping to learn a little about herself. What she gets is something she didn't EVER expect
1. Welcome to Furuba Miri Rotsu

"Please welcome our new student our new student Miri Rotsu-san," Mr. Tokinowa announced to the one of the 1st year classes at Furuba High School. "She moved here from America, so she may need some help getting used to her new environment, so I expect all of you to be as helpful as possible,"

I stared awkwardly at my new classroom, looking for an open seat, and finding one next to a short looking girl with long brown hair and grown out bangs wearing brown rectangular framed glasses. In comparison to my extremely dark blue hair, cut to just above my shoulders and with my grown out bangs that reached just past my collar bone. I quickly walked towards the seat, trying to avoid everybody's gaze as I carried my pale yellow messenger bag to the seat, quickly sitting down and taking my notebook out and waiting for Tokinowa-sensei to begin his lesson. I felt a small poke on my upper arm and looked at the girl sitting next to me who automatically struck as the shy type. She coughed quietly, and I noticed how frail she looked as the small cough made her hunch over.

"I'm Kagishi Jina," The girl said, he voice was so quiet that I had to strain to hear her, "Pleased to meet you Rotsu-san," She had a sweet smile and even though she looked down at her textbook, she seemed to be a friendly person.

"Glad to meet you as well Kagishi-san," I said politely, absently drawing butterflies on the cover of my notebook, "But please, just call me Miri," I wasn't used to being called by my last name, especially since it was actually Ross, but I changed it when I moved to my mother's hometown to meet her family. I didn't know they had gone on a 6-month long cruise around the world leaving only my mother's sister's son, Kaiga Makato to take care of my aunt bookstore, so I was staying with him.

"That's fine, you can call me Jina then," Jina-san said, quietly skimming over the chapter that Tokinowa-sensei was going to cover today. She occasionally took small notes in a simple blue notebook.

Even though I had practically mastered Japanese, it was still strange to hear everybody speaking it. I also pulled out my textbook, opening to the same page, the only difference was that mine had both Japanese and English in it, so thast it was easier for me to read, even though I was able to read about 75% of the Japanese, but it was helpful to be able to translate the other 25%. I wrote down the kanji I had to translate into English so that I could study them as well as my actual schoolwork. After skimming through and translating, I looked around the class room, seeing three people that would change my life forever.

Their names were Kyo Sohma, Yuki Sohma and Tohru Honda, and they are the reason I am writing this.


	2. The Cat, Rat, Rice Ball and Butterfly

"The orange haired boy is Sohma Kyo-san and the other boy is Prince Yuki Sohma," Jina quickly and quietly explained, "The girl next to them is Honda Tohru-san, and is the only reason those two would sit anywhere near each other," I nodded, noting the glares I was getting fir simply glancing at the delicate looking Yuki Sohma.

"The 'Prince' wouldn't happen to have fan girls would he?" I asked warily meeting the eyes of a few of them, matching their glare with one of my own. Jina nodded, coughing a few times a Tokinowa sensei began the lesson.

The day passed by quickly up to lunch and Jina and I sat outside enjoying the late spring sunshine. That's when I met Tohru Honda.

"Hi, I'm Honda Tohru," Honda-san said happily, next to me, "This is Sohma's Kyo and Yuki," She introduced the two boys, not realizing that I had already been told their names. Yuki sat next to Tohru and Kyo Sat directly across from her. Jina glanced up and looked down quickly, blushing and going into another small coughing fit. Yuki looked worried for a moment and Kyo looked annoyed, and judging from what I had seen of him, it was his normal behavior. Two girls from my class came and sat down opposite of us, a girl with long blonde hair and a long skirt sat down next to Kyo, increasing his annoyance, a girl with long black hair and strange eyes that sent shivers up and down my spine sat on the other side of the blonde girl.

"What's up Orange-Top?" The blonde one asked, causing Kyo to twitch slightly, but her didn't say anything, "Oh hey, I'm Uotani Arisa, one of Tohru's friends, Rotsu-san, right?" I nodded, glad to be meet so many people so quickly.

"But please, just call me Miri," I said, watching as the two girls opened a bento box and split it between the two of them, and Tohru, Yuki and Kyo all opened ones of their own.

"I'm another one of Tohru-san's friends, Hanajima Saki, but please, call me Hana," The strange eyed girl sitting next Arisa-san said.

"Yeah, you can call me Uo," Uo-san said, "Hey aren't you going to eat anything?" She looked concerned, as if she thought I was going to starve to death.

"I had a really big breakfast and stuff so…" I said awkwardly, even though I had only picked at the food, I wasn't feeling well still, it was the first day of school in a completely different country than where I was raised, so I was a bit nervous and didn't want to be sick.

"Please just eat something Miri-san," Jina's quiet, slightly raspy voice said to me, as she handed me a pair of chopsticks and opened a large elaborate bento box, "Actually everyone can have a bit if they want, my mother always makes too much,"

"Wow, you're mom made all of this, Wasatabi-san?" Tohru asked amazed, "She must be an amazing cook!" Jina nodded modestly, coughing a bit and blushing.

"Thank you, Jina-san," I said, picking up some miniature vegetables and popping them into my mouth, glad at my average abilities when it came to using chopsticks, but when I glanced at Jina-san to ask what kinds of onigiri she had she stared coughing, at first I though it was just another coughing fit, until she was coughing so hard the she fell off of the picnic table and didn't stop coughing.

"Wasatabi-san?" Uo-san asked worriedly, even as Yuki and Tohru ran to get help, Hana-san had taken Jina's glasses off as Jina-san kept coughing and coughing, Uo placed Jina's head in her lap removing pieces of hair from Jina-san's already sweat-soaked face, I quickly sat down next to her, even as another fit of coughs left her gasping for air, I grabbed her cold, clammy hands, my heart pounding.

"Don't worry too much Rotsu-san, this has happened to Jina-san before," Hana-san comforted me, even as Kyo simply stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do, "The only thing to do is what for it to pass,"

"Reminds me of that damn Yuki when he was younger, always coughing and hacking," Kyo scowled, earning a deathly glare from Uo-san.

"Be nice Kyo, or you're going to regret you ever met me," Uo warned softly, as Jina whimpered and the coughing stopped, but she just sat there, breathing shallowly, but hard as if the air refused to enter her lungs.

"Is she okay?" Tokinowa-sensei asked worriedly, rushing over, followed by Yuki and Tohru.

"Yes, the coughing has stopped but she needs to go home," Uo said, evenly meeting Tokinowa-sensei's eyes with a calm but cold stare, Hana-san nodded, causing Tokinowa-sensei to flinch slightly, as if he was scared of her. Tohru frowned when she saw the reaction, but Hana didn't seem to notice.

"I understand that Uotani-san, but I can not get a hold of her parents so she is going to wait in the infirmary," Mr. Tokinowa ordered sternly, "But I will need someone to carry her to the infirmary, I'm getting old," He added, half-jokingly, but Uo-san was dead serious as she picked up tiny Jina-san and carried her silently to the infirmary, followed by Mr. Tokinowa, who glanced back at those of us remaining, "please get your lunch picked up and head back to class, or else you will be late,"

"Yes Sensei," I murmured, "What about Jina-san's things?" I asked even as Yuki-san neatened up the bento box and gave it to sensei, "Oh, I guess that works," I had been a bit hungry and my stomach growled rather loudly causing Yuki to hand me a rice ball, "Thank you Sohma-san," I muttered nervously, blushing a bit.

"It is your first day here, so you must be quite stressed, Rotsu-san," Yuki said kindly, as I bit into the salmon flavored rice ball, "And I'm sure that a bit of food will do you some good," I couldn't say a word, somehow he had effectively disarmed me of my ability to speak, so I walked back to the class room in silence, sensing the glares coming from behind me.

"Not them again," Kyo muttered sourly, "What do they see in you anyway?" He scowled as I glanced back to see a few members of Yuki's fan club stalking us.

"Ugh," I muttered, finally able to speak, "This is so stupid, they are insane, do they honestly just stalk Yuki-san all day?" I had also noticed them glaring at us during lunch, but one look from Hana-san sent them scuttling away. I was a bit worried how far these girls would go to get Yuki.

"Don't worry about them Miri-san," Tohru said cheerfully, "They're scared of Hana-san's Denpa Waves,"

"Denpa Waves?" I asked confusedly, Tohru nodded, missing how confused I was, but Hana-san didn't miss a beat.

"I can sense people's 'auras, as well as sending 'poison waves' out," Hana-san explained, and I nodded, still worried about Jina, but Tohru started talking before I could drift off into my own little world.

"So why did you move to Japan from America Rotsu-san?" She asked curiously, and even though I had a whole story weaved to tell to cover the truth, I found it hard to lie to sweet looking Tohru.

"My step-mom and I don't really get along, and my real mom went missing a few years ago, so I thought that I would stay with my real mom's family," I started and found my self unable to stop talking, "My real mom disappeared a few years ago, and no one knows what happened to her,"

"I think I can understand how you feel Rotsu-san, my mother died about a year ago," Tohru said softly, patting my shoulder, Hana-san and the two Sohma's nodded solemnly and I even saw a glimmer of sympathy- or something in Kyo's eyes.

"Rotsu-san, I hope you don't mind me asking, but who are you staying with?" Yuki-san said softly, "It's just, you look familiar, that's all,"

"My aunt, Kiyaki Kayako, she owns the Kiyaki Bookstore," I replied, willing myself not to look into Yuki's royal purple eyes, "But she and my mom's three other sisters went on a 6-month-long cruise, so my cousin Makato is running the store while she's gone."

"Oh, that's why, you have the same eyes," Hana-san said, looking directly into my blue-grey-green eyes.

"Uh, thank you?" I replied awkwardly, trying to repress my blush at people actually noticing and paying attention to me whereas, back at my dad's house, my two step-brothers, Seth and Jake and my real sister, Rini, avoided me as much as possible, mainly to avoid the wrath of my step-mother, which I don't blame them for doing, but it still stings a little.

"You know, I need to buy a few books," Tohru-san said thoughtfully, glancing at Yuki and Kyo, "Is it okay if I walk to the store with you after school Rotsu-san, seeing as I don't have to work today, it would be a perfect time to get to know better!" She exclaimed happily.

"It's fine with me, you probably know the way to my place better than I do anyway," I said, caught off-guard by Tohru's random decision, and still wondering if I wanted her to know me better, "I only hop you don't find me dull company. Honda-san,"

"I'm afraid I can't go with you," Hana-san said, "I have…other duties I must attend to,"

"I guess that I'll walk with you as well, seeing as someone is going to have to walk you back," Kyo muttered, sounding annoyed as usual but I couldn't help but think I heard a hint of protectiveness in his voice, maybe it was just me though.

"And what could a stupid cat like you do to protect Honda-san, Kyo?" Yuki-san snickered, causing Yuki to start yelling at him and both of them started arguing.

"Do you live with them, Honda-san?" I asked curiously, "I'm not meaning to intrude or anything, I'm just curious,"

"Yes I do," Tohru replied, simply leaving it at that, and I understood that there was more to the story, but just as I had my secrets, I understood that she had her own.

"Well, as long as you're happy, I guess it doesn't matter how," I sighed, dazing off into my own world. I was looking back both my mother's and my own struggle to simply finds our 'happy place' but then as it often does, the fact that my mother, Emiko, may have died just when she found that place wormed into my mind, and I walked into the classroom with that thought weighing heavy on my mind.


	3. Three Suprises

Hey guys, I reposted this chapter after I read through it and fix a few errors, the next chapter should be up soon, so don't rush me.

* * *

The rest of the day seemed to sluggishly inch by, even though I tried hard to pay attention in class, most of the stuff went in one ear and out the other, except science, which was one of my best subjects, as well as the last class of the day. After furiously scrawling down notes in both Japanese and English for the last hour or so of school, I finally got out. After meeting with Tohru, Yuki and Kyo, we, as in Tohru and I, quickly decided to check on Jina-san, who was seemingly fine, if a bit crabby.

"My mother will be here as soon as she can find a chance to get out of work, but the restaurant is really busy today and she has a big catering order to work on," Jina-san said calmly to Uo-san as all four of us walked in, "and my father is in Hokkaido for business," She noticed us and glanced first at Tohru and I, then at Yuki and Kyo, smiling and nodding, "as I was saying I will be perfectly able to take care of myself until my mother can pick me up,"

"No, I am not leaving you alone for god-knows-how-long, Jina-san," Uo-san said stubbornly, "It could be hours, you said so yourself!"

"Why don't you walk home with Jina-san, Uo-san?" Tohru asked curiously, looking a bit confused.

"I screwed up my ankle when I fell off the bench," Jina-san explained, "And I refuse to allow Uo-san to carry me to my house, no matter what she says about me staying until my mother can pick me up and DRIVE me home," Jina said stubbornly, glaring at Uo-san from behind her glasses.

"Whatever, Jina-san," Uo-san muttered, both of them glaring at each other.

"They won't hurt each other, will they?" I asked nervously, "I mean, I'm sure Uo-san is just trying to protect Jina-san,"

"It'll be fine, Rotsu-san, Uo-san is very overprotective, but she would never hurt Jina-san," Tohru said happily, as if she knew from experience, which calmed my worries immensely, "So don't worry too much," I smiled nodded waving good-bye to Jina and walking outside to find it raining.

"Great, I didn't know it was going to rain," I muttered grumpily, even though I didn't mind walking back in the rain, I was wearing a white shirt.

"Just perfect," Kyo growled under his breath, pulling gout a dark blue umbrella, only to get it taken from him by Yuki-san, who handed it to me.

"Uh, wait what?" I mumbled dropping the umbrella into a rather large rain puddle, "I'm so sorry Kyo-san! I didn't mean to, I really am sorry!" I apologized repeatedly, picking up the umbrella; noting Kyo's glare was somehow directed at both Yuki and myself and was rapidly zeroing in on Yuki.

"Its fine, Rotsu-san," Yuki-san san said, in a gentle tone that once again made me lost any chance I had of apologizing anymore, "He can deal with a bit of rain,"

"Damn you Yuki! Wha…" Kyo looked down as a girl bumped into him, a she kept her head down, avoiding Kyo's gaze.

"Oh, excuse me, I didn't see you there" She muttered without looking up, continuing to walk, except for the fact that Kyo stopped her by putting his hand on her forehead. She instantly looked up, "Oh! Kyo-chan," She teased lightly, a slightly evil smile dancing across her face, "Tohru-chan, Yuki-san!" She said, setting her reddish gaze on me, "Who's that?"

"I'm-uh-Rotsu-uh-Miri," I stuttered, amazed at how she looked almost exactly like Kyo-san, except for the fact that she was a… she. "Yeah," I finished lamely.

"Rotsu-san, this is Sohma Emiko, a close relative of ours," Yuki said softly, making me jump.

"Please, uhm, call me Miri," I stammered, unable to say much else, seeing a Emiko-san had the same name as my real mother, Emiko Rotsu, and it sent my mind spinning.

"We're up second cousins or something like that," Kyo muttered, attempting to stay out of the rain, but Emiko just shrugged and nodded at me.

"I'm a Sohma, they're Sohmas and that's all that matters on this topic," She explained, smiling and punching Kyo in the arm, "You'd better get an umbrella, or you won't be too well later, idiot,"

"I can't, SOMEBODY dropped my umbrella in a puddle," Kyo muttered angrily, grabbing the umbrella from me and opening it, earning himself a glare from Yuki.

"Now, why did Miri-san have you're umbrella in the first place, stupid?" Emiko asked even though her smirk directed a Yuki showed that she already knew, "You really ought to be more careful Kyo-chan,"

"What don't you let me use yours then, Emiko?" Kyo reached towards Emiko's umbrella, but before he could grab it, Emiko had grabbed his arms and flipped him, smirking.

"Uh-hey, Kyo, Emiko, um, please, stop?" Tohru looked terrified at the fight that was quickly developing; at least it was, until Yuki-san thumped both Kyo and Emiko in the back of the head.

"What the…? I muttered, "But kinda cool too, I guess," I immediately got strange looks from everybody,probably trying to figure out what I was thinking.

"Cool…?" Emiko-san stared at me like I was insane, "I was about to beat the crap outta him and you say 'cool'?"

"Uh…Step-brothers, protection, uh, martial arts…" I muttered awkwardly, trying not to get mad at the condescending tone Emiko-san was using.

"Do you ever talking in complete sentences?" Kyo sneered, "Honestly,"

"KYO, be nice," Tohru admonished, glancing at me, not noticing how angry I had become, fighting was something I was used to, but insulting me was a different matter.

"At least I'M not scared of a little rain, Kyo Kyo," I muttered, sending a glare that could stop a rabid dog in its tracks, at least, that's what my little sister Rini says.

"Shaddup, you stupid brat!" He flared up in anger, "What I do is my own business, so keep out of it!"

"Until you bring everyone else down with you, stupid cat," Yuki muttered before I had a chance to start an argument, "Now, shall we leave or are we going to just sit here in the rain all day?" He asked coolly, seeming to irritate Kyo even more.

"This was al your fault in the first place, you damn rat!" Kyo yelled furiously, once again attempting to take Emiko's umbrella.

"No way!" Emiko dodged Kyo's attempt to take her umbrella and thumped him upside the head, causing Tohru to widen her eyes to the point I thought they were going to pop out of their sockets.

"Wh-why don't you two share the umbrella, Emiko-san, Kyo-san?" She stammered cautiously, stopping the two from pummeling each other again.

"The voice of reason, finally," I muttered, "Why could Kyo think of that, seeing as it would have saved him a lot of embarrassment on his part,"

"Why do you think, it's because he's an idiot," Emiko sniggered, easily dodging a punch from Kyo, "Now, I'm thinking about sharing my umbrella with you and you try to hurt me?" Emiko sniffed, grinning evilly.

"Uh, listen guys, my cousin is going to be worried, so can we get a move on?" I muttered impatiently, "Unlike SOMEONE, I don't need an umbrella," I added, wanting to get home to study.

"Please, take my umbrella, Rotsu-san, I will share with Tohru," Yuki said softly, handing me his umbrella before I had a chance to object, and I didn't drop it either, a fact I am pathetically proud of to this day.

"Are you, uh, sure?" I mumbled, even as Emiko and Tohru opened their umbrellas, sharing with Kyo and Yuki, respectively.

"Actually, you guys uh, probably know the way back to my place better than I do," I said awkwardly, mumbling the last part, earning myself a glare from both Emiko and Kyo.

"Wait, where are we going anyway?" Emiko asked suddenly, "and how did I get sucked into going with you guys?"

"Oh, I completely forgot to explain, Emiko-san," Yuki said, smiling as he and Tohru took the lead, "We're going to the bookstore because Honda-san needs new books,"

"My aunt owns the store, but she's on a cruise, so my cousin is taking care of the store for her, and I'm living with him," I added, trying to focus on where I was going so that I wouldn't get lost when I had to walk home by myself.

"Will you hurry up Miri," Kyo snapped impatiently. I hadn't noticed that they had passed me until Kyo had yelled at me.

"Sorry, Kyo-san," I mumbled, , running forward until I was even with the two redheads who were fighting over the pale orange umbrella.

"It's MY umbrella, I get to hold it!" Emiko scowled, yanking the umbrella out of Kyo's grasp.

"My umbrella got dropped into a mud puddle!" Kyo growled in reply, shaking the wet umbrella in Emiko's face, causing her give him a death glare and shoved him hard enough to forced him to step out from under the umbrella unless he wanted to fall flat on his face.

"Please stop fighting, Kyo-san, Emiko san," Tohru asked worriedly, looking back at the two.

"Sorry, Tohru-san," Kyo muttered, glaring at Emiko, who, in returned smiled impishly and continued walking, forcing Kyo to increase his pace in order to keep up with her.

"You speak Japanese very fluently, Miri-san," Yuki-san remarked as I matched my pace to his, walking next to him as the bookstore came into sight.

"As I said before, my real mother was…is, Japanese," It was always a painful correction I forced myself to make,"She moved to America to marry my father after she met him in Italy where he was working as a chef. My mom loved to travel and wanted me and my younger sister, Rini, to learn as much as possible and practically drilled the language into us, and to make sure we didn't get our English and Japanese screwed up, she would smack us upside the head when we did," I said, unconsciously rubbing the back of my head, smiling at the memories that flooded through my mind, there was more than a bit of sadness from thinking of my mother, and the fact that I may never see her again.

"No wonder you're so strange, your mother must have knocked something loose," Emiko muttered, not ready for the deadly glare I gave her as I whipped around.

"My mother disappeared when I was 13," I said, as everyone stopped and looked at me, "Her name was Emiko Kai Rotsu," There was a strange silence as this information sunk in.

"Oh," Emiko said softly, looking down as a few strands of her hair dfirted in front of her face, "I'm sorry," She added, even though I still felt tears welling up into my eyes.

"We're here," Yuki said gently, his strange purple eyes meeting mine. I tried to hold the gaze, searching for anything that would help me understand him, to understand everyone here a bit better, but I was forced to look away in order to close my umbrella as a familiar face opened the door.

"Heya Onee-chan, wassup?" My 14-year-old sister asked, smirking at the look of surprise on my face.


End file.
